


Chained From Sunlight

by EmerialynCodeVenice



Series: Chained From Sunlight [1]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Friend/Partner In Crime Xanxus, Daughter Of Reborn, F/M, Human Experimentation, Isekai, Kawahira The ASSHOLE, No Beta We Die Like Ori, Ori Becomes Mist Of Xanxus, Ori Shouldn't Exist, Original Character(s), Protective Reborn (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Reborn Is Father, Reincarnation, Self-Insert, Suicidal Thoughts, What even is canon?, but not really, lots of dying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26762716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmerialynCodeVenice/pseuds/EmerialynCodeVenice
Summary: "You're not mean to exist." Kawahira's cold eyes bore into her. "Reborn was never meant to have a daughter. Every moment you live upsets the balance of the world.""And?" Ori's hands clenched. "You're going to kill me? Been there, done that.""No," he said after a moment. "But, at the end of this, you may wish I had."
Relationships: Mukuro & OC, Reborn & OC, Reborn (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!) & Original Character(s), Rokudou Mukuro & Original Female Character(s), Xanxus (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!)/Original Female Character(s), Xanxus/OC
Series: Chained From Sunlight [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950232
Comments: 50
Kudos: 205





	1. Twisted Wonderland

**Author's Note:**

> So, here's yet another fandom and fic I don't have time for, lol. My thesis and homework were driving me insane, so it somehow resulted in 10,000 or so words of mere writing this on pure fumes and angst.
> 
> I absolutely love OCs in the Katekyo Hitman Reborn Universe and, after inhaling like a dozen of them, decided to throw in my own fic into the bunch after brainstorming most of it in one sleepless night. Canon has been rearranged for my intentions, but you'll see how ;)
> 
> Please enjoy!

They say you only live once.

They say nothing about _only dying once._

Maybe because it's common sense? You live once, you die once, so don't waste the time you have because you'll never get it back.

Except, that's not how it was for her--for the one who died a miserable death only to be reborn in the Katekyo Hitman Reborn as Oriana Sinclair, daughter of the infamous Reborn himself.

Some might see have seen it as a second chance, an opportunity to have the life she was never given in her first life, but she soon learned that it was nothing of the sort.

Live once...

Die once...

Dear _god_ , Ori wished that was how it worked with her.

o0o0o0o

The last memory of her past life and the first memory of her new life was the same: _screaming_.

Or, at least, trying to scream.

Of _pain_ coursing through her body as she struggled to _breathe--_

Then, there was a bright light, but she couldn't see, couldn't begin to decipher anything around her.

Later, she would realize that an infant couldn't typically see for a few months, but the only thing she knew at the time was that she was cold, aching, and she had no control whatsoever as something gripped her entire body. A blinding terror consumed her entire being, and she screamed the moment she could.

In-between her panic, she wondered if she'd gone straight to hell after drowning. She wouldn't have been surprised. No matter how she fought to return to the surface, the numb, freezing sensation of being dragged down further and further overcame her will until any hope of survival perished... or, at least, she'd thought that death was certain.

One thing she could tell was that there was someone else screaming-- _the high-pitched wail of a baby?--_ so at least she wasn't the only one.

Then, she registered a woman's voice, seemingly mid-sentence. "--actually survived! Pretty sure she died a few times in there, but I guess the blood of the World's Strongest Hitman is powerful enough to even overcome my toxic body!" Strongest hitman? Toxic? "Well, it'd be no fun if she died so quickly anyway."

"Lady Milagros," a man's voice said from somewhere above her, "she's still crying." 

"Oh, fine." There was a long-suffering sigh. "I guess I'll take care of it."

Then, everything went dark with a sickening, hazy indigo swirl.

o0o0o0o

It took a while before she realized that she wasn't just blind or injured and being tended to in a hospital because the size of her body felt... off.

She could move, so it wasn't exactly like being paralyzed, but her limbs also wouldn't respond correctly. Not to mention that the voices of the people around her didn't talk or sound like hospital workers... especially that one woman whose very voice sent shivers down the reincarnated girl's spine.

Her first clear image was of a woman with wild brown hair and manic eyes staring down at her. She flinched, unsettled by those unhinged eyes.

"Oh, ho, ho!" the woman said, the voice immediately telling her that it was Milagros... the woman who'd been there right after she'd 'woke up' the first time. "About time you started reacting! Well, I guess it doesn't matter, as long as you keep breathing, you're valuable enough."

What was going on!? 

She tried to get away, but only succeeded in flailing her arms--arms that were entirely too small. She froze, mind racing as she tried to figure out some kind of reason why, _how_ , this was happening. She'd think she'd lost her mind if she wasn't feeling everything around her so clearly in a way she never had in a dream.

"Lady Milagros?" It was that man's voice from before and, despite her _need_ to understand what was going on, she turned and saw a man in a suit walk in. He looked tired, weary, but bowed respectfully to Milagros. "Is there something you need with the baby?"

_Baby!?_

She froze. Was she... had she been reincarnated?

"Just checking up on the spawn of the World's Greatest Hitman!" Milagros answered in a singsong voice, making chills go up her spine. And, there it was again--that term. "She definitely looks like him, at least, with those beady black eyes and cute sideburns--almost thought I tricked a different man into sleeping with me! But, still, it's already been a few months--why isn't she doing anything interesting, Giusto?"

The man, Giusto, stared back at Milagros with a wariness that the 'baby' wholeheartedly approved. "She is just an infant, my lady."

"And when can she use her flames?"

Flames?

Wait, flames... World's Greatest Hitman...

Her eyes widened in realization. Her favorite manga, the one she never got even close to finishing before dying (and now she was coming to terms that she must've legitimately _died_ then), came to mind immediately: Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Had she... somehow reincarnated into that world? Like some sort of fanfiction? But, that was ridiculous!

And, yet... it wasn't like she was an expert of what happened after death. She needed more information.

Giusto shook his head in response to Milagros' question. "No. And, as it stands, I cannot even sense a hint of them in her body, which is understandable at her age."

"Really?" Milagros eyes suddenly sharpened and the reincarnated girl's mind screamed _danger._ "How boring... How's she supposed to grow up and be a thorn in Renato Sinclair's side if she doesn't have flames?"

Renato Sinclair? Wasn't that Reborn's real name--or, at least, the name he used before he was cursed?

She'd only heard of it through online rumors given that she'd never had the chance to get to that part of the series. Or had it been simply something the fans made up? It was sometimes hard to tell the difference between the two.

Oh god, if this really was the world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn, she was _really_ going to regret not working more overtime in order to buy the latest issues. Who needed things like food and rent money when, apparently, manga was necessary to prepare for the future in a way she'd never expected?

She'd never even gotten much past the Varia Arc!!!

And what the _hell_ were they talking about with her 'growing up to be a thorn in Renato Sinclair's' side!? Even if he wasn't the Reborn she was thinking, what was up with that purpose of having a child!?

Giusto swallowed, though he didn't back away. "Surely with the bloodline of Milagros, Head of the Veleno Family, and Renato Sinclair, the World's Greatest Hitman, she will grow into a suitable threat for all, my lady."

"Hopefully." Milagros leaned back on what the reincarnated girl realized to be a crib--or, at least, a small bed with wooden bars slapped on the side to keep her from falling out. Suddenly, the woman grinned. "Or, maybe, I should sell her to the highest bidder? And then leak the information to Renato and watch him destroy them trying to get her back." Milagros giggled. "That'd be fun!"

' _She's a psychopath_ ,' the reincarnated girl thought with growing horror. _'I'm at the complete mercy of a **psychopath**.'_

Though she hadn't had anyone to call 'mother' in her past life-- _and, wow, she was going to have to get used thinking that--_ she decided very quickly that she had no intentions of considering this woman in that way either.

Why was this happening? Was it because she'd been so fixated on Katekyo Hitman Reborn before she died? Because it had kept her going when it felt like nothing else would? Or, maybe, because it was the last thing she thought about before those thugs had pushed her off that bridge?

No matter the reason, the reincarnated girl couldn't find this to be a good thing. No matter how she loved KHR, there was no denying that this world of mafia and magic flames was far more dangerous than the pages seemingly depicted--her proof being this insane woman above her, and this twisted plan for her existence. 

If she'd somehow had a choice in the matter, the girl would have asked to been reincarnated into a kind, normal family--probably in Namimori so she could be a spectator to Tsuna's life. She didn't need to be part of the plot--would've been content simply to watch canon happen.

She didn't need to be a hero--didn't think she could be even if she tried--or supernatural powers. No, it would've been enough to have a family who wanted her around.

She'd survived well enough in her... past life without having anyone, but she'd always been quietly envious of those who walked around hand-in-hand with family members or friends or lovers with smiles on their faces. Maybe... maybe she could have something like that in this life?

So caught up in her own thoughts, she only caught the tail end of whatever Milagros was saying to Giusto. "--but I guess that would rob you of your revenge on the man, right?"

Milagro's manicured nails tapped on the edge of the makeshift crib, and the reincarnated girl-- _who was now very curious what her new name was in this life--_ likened them to the claws of a predator. "I'm sure you remember how Renato massacred all your brothers and sisters, my _precious_ Family members, so make sure you raise the spawn up well to get revenge on him, kay?"

Giusto swallowed, hands shaking at his side before he bowed his head again. "Of course, my lady."

But, as he left the room, there was a look in his eye that sent shivers down the reincarnated girl's spine.

o0o0o0o

Time went by in a blur as the reincarnated girl, slowly, came to terms with her new existence.

She'd also come to the realization that, if she had been named, no one was bothering to call her it. She was either 'the baby' or 'it' or 'spawn'... you could probably see her point. She would've just gone by her past name but she... she found she couldn't really recall it anymore.

Depressingly, she wondered if she would have to choose her own name this time around because no one else could be bothered. Even in her past life her parents, before putting her up for adoption, had named her.

Well, at least she hadn't been named something ridiculous. She'd figure it out, somehow.

The reincarnated girl was forced to settle into an uneasy routine of sleeping eighty percent of the time and being fed, changed, and otherwise ignored for the other twenty percent. Giusto was the one who mainly did these tasks, looking at her with a mixture of pity and hatred-- _something that she had too much experience with seeing in her past life--_ as he tended to her.

It almost felt like there was some sort of countdown in his eyes--a limit to how strong those emotions in his eyes could grow before something inevitably break.

And something did.

It was night and, for some reason, the reincarnated girl was wide awake.

The dark seemed to smother her, but not to the point that slumber would find her. Not that her dreams were pleasant, generally they were nightmares of how she died, but she knew there wasn't much she could do about that. It could've been that she'd slept too much during the day to be able to sleep through the night, but she also felt strangely alert and on edge.

Then came the alarms--shrieking and accompanied by loud yelling from beyond this room she'd never seen the outside of. Never had she wanted to run away so much, but she was trapped. Trapped and helpless to whatever was happening outside that door.

But then, the door opened, revealing none other than the familiar face of Giusto.

Yet, instead of feeling relief at the sight of her 'caretaker,' her blood froze as he rushed over, the manic look in his eye similar to Milagros. There was blood trailing down his brow, dripping onto the pillow next to her.

"He's here," Giusto said, hysteria clear with those two words alone. "I don't know how he found out about you, but he did! All that planning... _ruined!_ "

She couldn't move as Giusto pressed both hands to his eyes. "I... I can't just let it end like this."

The man visibly swallowed before taking his hands from his face, looking down at her sorrowfully in a way that made every hair on her skin stand on edge. What was he going to do?

"I'm sorry, but this is better for you too." He swallowed again, breathing heavily. "You should have never been born, should have never survived the poisonous blood of _that_ woman, and if you survive... you'll only suffer no matter what you do."

Before the reincarnated girl could force herself to scream, Giusto grabbed the pillow from beneath her and pressed it firmly down on her face.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again, voice muffled as she struggled beneath the weight, her breath running out quickly as she started sobbing. "It's better this way. Whether it's mother or father... you would've died anyway--"

Spots appeared in front of her eyes as she had the sudden flash of _deja-vu_.

This... this was the feeling she felt when she'd died, the first time.

Oh god, was this how it was going to end? Was she going to die again so soon?

Why... _why did it have to be like this!?_

A part of her, the one who had eagerly read the latest volume of Katekyo Hitman Reborn by herself at the bus stop, hands shaking from the cold and excitement both as she turned each page, wondered if Reborn, or, rather, Renato, would save her. If he would bust in last second like the hero she knew he could be and accept her as his own?

Yet, as her struggling slowed, nothing of the sort happened.

No dramatic break-in.

No singular shot to save her.

_Nothing._

In fact, sound itself was fading, with only Giusto's last words in her mind as everything went black.

_"You should have never been born."_

Helpless and with no one there to save her, the one who didn't even have a name ceased breathing.

She... simply died.

...

_(...the second time, that is._

_For there would be many... many... **many** more deaths to come.)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, end of story. Nothing more to see here!
> 
> ...lol, of course not. Though, Ori probably wishes that had been the case. Everyone strap in because the rollercoaster that's Ori's life is just starting. And we get to see Renato (Reborn) next chapter too--yay!
> 
> Please leave a Comment or Kudos to tell me what you think!


	2. Child Of A Hitman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: 
> 
> The nameless girl was reincarnated into what appeared to be the KHR Universe as the daughter of Renato Sinclair, the World's Greatest Hitman, and Milagros, the psychotic head of the Veleno Family. 
> 
> Just when it looks like Renato has come to save her... she dies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who left a Comment or Kudos!!! Though, my sadistic cruelty in regard to Ori is only going to continue so... prepare for that, lol. 
> 
> Also, while I'm trying to get through Ori's childhood relatively quickly, there will be side stories from outside POVs and fluff (or not so fluffy) scenes that just didn't make it into the main storyline. 
> 
> Subscribe or Bookmark to the series as a whole to catch those since I already have a Renato POV of this chapter in the works!

_There was nothing._

_Nothing but numbness... of every sense being cut off to the point, the silence and inability to move **suffocating** her. This was hell, wasn't it?_

_She knew that she had died. She was certain of that._

_But, then, the numbness faded..._

... _and she came back to_ life.

Her eyes burst open and her arms flailed, every part of her _hurt_ \--as if her body was trying to figure out all over again how to be alive. Alive... _how was she alive?_

She _knew_ that she'd just been dead, so what was this? Why was she back in this room, in this makeshift crib instead of wherever reincarnation led her next?

_What was going on?_

Evidently, Giusto felt the same, staring down at her incredulously. A part of her figured that not much time could've passed since blood was still trailing down his face, though sluggishly.

"What are you?" Giusto whispered before hatred overpowered whatever pity that had once been his eyes. Somehow, even after dying a second time, she felt more afraid than ever. "You... you're some kind of monster, aren't you? Their DNA didn't make a child, but a _demon_!"

His hands flew at her face, pressing down her neck and lacking all the 'gentleness' he'd used when suffocating her with a pillow. She wailed, reaching up with sluggish arms to try and get his hands off, but it was useless.

Was she going to go through all this again? Was she going to go back to that place? That place where it felt like she ceased to exist and everything was just _wrong_?

And even if she didn't go back to that place, she didn't want to die again. Would she just come back and this horrible cycle would just repeat? Was that to be her fate in this life?

No... no... _nonononononono!_

_Please_.

Someone.

_Anyone!_

**_She didn't want to DIE!_ **

Suddenly there was a flash of yellow light and, not a split second later, a distinct _bang_.

She flinched as something splattered across her face, tiny body shaking as she watched Giusto, eyes now vacant, slumped over the crib before gravity brought him to the floor.

Dead. There was no mistaking it. A part of her wondered if he was currently reincarnating into another world, or if... if he just ended. If he went to _that_ place, but wouldn't leave.

"Chaos," a smooth voice spoke near the door, making her strain her neck trying to look over.

Suddenly, she felt warm... strangely so. In fact, she'd never felt so warm in her entire life. It chased away the numbness from before, replacing it with a burning need to find out what-- _who_ \--was causing it.

She didn't have to wait long as a man walked over and peered over the makeshift crib, reminding her that she really was that tiny. He had black, spiky hair hidden beneath a fedora with an orange stripe. Her eyes were dark, but not threatening, as he stared down at her.

Was this Renato Sinclair?

Was this... _her father?_

The stranger held a gun in one hand, and it was then that she realized that the yells from before were gone. It was difficult to tell with the alarms still blaring, but she was relatively certain. Had they run away? What had happened to Milagros?

"So, you're the one that I was told about, are you, bambina?" he spoke suddenly.

Then, his eyes narrowed and the yellow aura around him flared. He reached down and pressed his hands against the bruises on her face, expression thunderous like a brewing storm.

She flinched, tears welling up again in her eyes from the pain even if she knew, logically, that he probably wasn't going to kill her... hopefully, at least. She knew violence against children was a _lot_ more common in this world--the bruises on her neck and face a testament to that fact.

Had she been less overwhelmed by everything happening, she would've been amused by the split second of panic on Renato's face before he reached down to pick her up.

"Now, don't do that, little bella," Renato said, adjusting his gun so he could hold her. "How are you going to be a looker like your... like me if your eyes are full of tears like that?"

That was basically confirmation that he was Renato Sinclair. The man that was, or at least as she'd overheard, was her father.

She tried not to squirm, but it was quite clear that Renato wasn't familiar with holding an infant if the stiffness of his arms was any indication. Yet, with his touch, came a bright, soothing feeling. It was the same warmth from before, but more concentrated as it slowly made the aches and pains on her body lessen.

"Isn't that better, little bella?" His voice was smooth like silk and incredibly pleasant to listen to. If she wasn't so shaken from the helplessness of her (second) death, she might've fallen right to sleep from it. "No reason to cry."

As she quieted down, she stared up at him in contemplation, trying to place his adult features.

How odd was it to think about your father and expect to see a baby? Of course, she'd known that Renato couldn't have been an infant when he... met Milagros, but to see him in his pre-cursed form was something she'd never seen. She'd heard rumors of how handsome he was before her (first) death, but it seemed to pale in comparison to the real thing.

Yet, even with Renato in front of her with that signature fedora she'd finally recognized, she wondered if she could really take this as confirmation that she was in the Katekyo Hitman Reborn Universe. For all she knew, this was just a universe that was similar to it.

Given her existence, it seemed to be the latter because she was fairly certain that Reborn didn't have a child of any sort--or, at least, one that had been mentioned. Which, given how Reborn valued family, felt like it would've come up sometime with Tsuna--especially since he would've, hilariously, freaked out at the idea of an 'infant' having a kid of his own.

So, was she in an alternate universe that had started branching since her birth? Or had it always been a completely unique universe from what she'd read in KHR and that's how she was able to exist in it now?

After all, she knew there were a lot of differences between the manga and anime, so that right there might be a hint towards the possibility of alternate universes. And hadn't there been talk online-- _during the few times she'd able to use a computer unsupervised--_ about there being parallel worlds in KHR?

If she was being really picky, the reincarnated girl technically didn't have any confirmation that this man was the Renato Sinclair who would later become Reborn.

For all she knew, it was a family name, and she was still years before what she knew as the "canon timeline" of KHR. Or, maybe, this was the future of KHR with this being after Reborn was freed from his curse.

She knew that the curse had to be broken eventually, right? Seeing the Arcobalenos being freed from their infant prisons-- _which, wow, she had so much more empathy for that struggle right now--_ was something she'd wanted to see so _badly_ , but never had. It was just another thing that she'd heard Tsuna would do in later chapters, but she'd avoided spoilers.

Wow. To think she would live(?) to see the day she regretted something as simple as that.

She was distracted as Renato reached down and, with a surprisingly tender touch, began to wipe off something on her cheek. She scrunched her nose up when his thumb came back with blood, the sight suddenly making her aware of the queasy, metallic smell lingering in the room. She... wasn't sure how she felt about it.

"Sorry about that, little bella." Her father tilted his head down, eyes shadowing in a move she recognized to be shame in some form. "I should've gotten here sooner."

She really, _really_ wished he had, but she also knew it wasn't his fault in any way.

From the little she'd learned over the last few months, her mother, Milagros Veleno, was a Mist who'd slept with Renato with him being none the wiser to her pregnancy after what sounded to be a one-night stand.

Milagros had apparently done it for the fun of it, but it was the plan of the Veleno Family as a whole to get revenge on the World's Greatest Hitman who had ruined an important operation some years ago--the one that Giusto's siblings had died on.

Thus, the fact that Renato had somehow learned about her and came to save her even when he could've just ignored her existence... it meant a lot.

She reached a hand up, not as conflicted as she'd once been when she saw how her tiny hand barely encircled his thumb. She tried to wiggle it, cooing as best as she could in an attempt to thank him. She couldn't wait till she could speak again.

A thin brow arched over his eyes, amusement clear. "Oh? You're a strong little bella, aren't you?"

No. She really wasn't.

But she didn't need to be with him here, right?

She yawned, tiny body beyond exhausted from the events of the night. There were so many questions going through her head-- _the foremost being... how had she died yet **come back**?--_but she'd never felt more comfortable than she did in his warm embrace.

She heard a deep chuckle as her eyes drifted.

"Sleep tight... Oriana."

o0o0o0o

When her eyes opened, she-- _Oriana... Renato, her father, had called her Oriana, right? She liked it, though it was a bit formal for everyday use--_ was unsurprised to find herself in a different room than her previous 'nursery' with the Veleno Family.

Instead, her surroundings looked like an actual FDA approved definition of a room meant for a child. Above her sturdy-looking crib with yellow blankets, there was a mobile with spiraling suns and stars above her. Upon further examination, the room was a pleasant peach color and smelled like sunshine and fresh, blooming flowers.

Her contentment was short-lived as her stomach grumbled, reminding her that it'd at least been twelve hours since she'd last eaten.

Ori resigned herself to wait for whenever her father, or whoever he had dropped her off with, decided to come check and, hopefully, figure out she was starving. Giusto hadn't neglected her, but he could take a while sometimes which was understandable--

Ori jolted as the door opened on the other side of the room.

She turned her body as best as she could to peer through the bars of the crib as Renato strolled in with purposeful strides. Ori envied those long legs of his. Hopefully, she would inherit them--she had more reason than ever to want to be able to run away whenever she wanted.

Renato came to a stop above the crib, staring down at her in a rendition of last night's-- _was it last night? How had he prepared this nursery so quickly if so?--_ initial meeting.

Deciding that her hunger was more important than Staring Contest Round 2, she lifted her arms, wiggling them in what she hoped to be a universal 'pick me up' gesture.

A part of her was surprised by how comfortable she felt with this man. In fact, she couldn't recall ever feeling like this in her first life, and it kind of unsettled her.

Even if he'd saved her life, even if he turned out to be the Reborn she'd read about, it didn't mean that he wanted to be a... _her_ father.

No matter what the manga had said about Reborn valuing family, that could've come later after the curse. After all, why would the World's Greatest Hitman waste his time on a helpless infant? Beyond the minimum of ensuring she was alive, that is. He might've talked nicely to her last night, but she hadn't met a person willing to stick around her for long.

_"You should have never been born,"_ Giusto's voice echoed in her mind.

But, before, Ori could have any more doubts, Renato chuckled.

He reached down and picked her up, balancing her in one arm with a far more practiced motion than last night. Had he somehow practiced when she was asleep? Was he some sort of natural?

"Good morning, Oriana," Renato said, bringing his other hand over to reveal a bottle with what appeared to be milk or formula in it. "Are you hungry?"

Ori wondered how'd he known-- _especially to have warmed up the bottle before even coming inside--_ before deciding it didn't matter when she got instant service like this. She wiggled her hands towards the bottle, only settling down when he brought it to her mouth.

Her brow furrowed as the taste registered. The milk was warm and... tingly?

She glanced up at him, wishing she could ask why it tasted like that, when he smirked.

"Different than what you usually drink, isn't it, little bella?" He really could read minds, couldn't he!? She suddenly felt a lot more sympathetic for Tsuna. "Let's just say that your papa has a cool little power that'll make you grow up big and strong."

' _He really likes to stroke his own ego, doesn't he?'_ she thought idly, trying to ignore how her heart skipped a beat when he referred to himself as her 'Papa.'

Not that he didn't deserve to be proud of his power. Even if he wasn't the Reborn she thought he was, he was still the World's Greatest Hitman that Milagros, Giusto, and their associates had ranted and raged about--and that was before he'd apparently mowed them all down to come to get her.

After all, Renato Sinclair wasn't someone to be underestimated in any way.

( _She avoided thinking about Milagros and the Veleno Family... hoping, even if it was kind of terrible, that Renato had either killed them off or frightened them badly enough they wouldn't go near her again.)_

Ori contemplated what he meant from his previous words before guessing that he might've mixed his Sun Flames with the bottle's formula. He could only be a Sun Flames User given how he'd gone out of his way to heal the bruises she'd... received from Giusto.

Regardless, she appreciated the gesture, and not just because Sun Flames apparently made everything delicious!

A small burst of energy accompanied every swallow as it settled in her stomach, the formula gone before she knew it. He took the bottle from her as she attempted to suck out more despite there being none left.

"No more, Oriana," Renato said, chuckling as her face scrunched before she could stop it.

She paused, registering the name again. Milagros and Giusto had only referred to as 'baby' or 'spawn,' so was it that she'd always been named 'Oriana' or had Renato come up with after seeing her?

She wondered what was written on her birth certificate. Did she even _have_ a birth certificate? She hoped that, if she did, her last name wasn't Veleno.

Deep in her contemplation, she didn't fidget as Renato placed her against her shoulder, patting her back gently. As he did, she locked eyes with a chameleon apparently just hanging out on the shelf behind them, thus beginning Staring Contest Round 3.

Was this Leon? The green chameleon looked pretty normal, but how was Ori going to know what a magical chameleon looked like anyway? Renato looked like a normal person, yet he'd probably killed at least a dozen guys to get to her without breaking a sweat.

That, and the magical fire powers... and the fact she'd (probably) reincarnated into a world she'd seen as fiction. Maybe this was some kind of long coma dream...

"That's Leon," Renato said, glancing back and forth between the two, seeming to watch her reaction. Was he worried she'd be afraid or something? Chameleons were, unquestionably, one of the coolest animals in existence.

For lack of anything better to do, Ori waved at Leon, feeling more than hearing Renato chuckle at her actions. The chameleon stuck his tongue out before laying down, closing his eyes.

She mentally nodded to herself. Sleep seemed like a good idea. Even with all the extra energy the formula had given her, she had a feeling that her body was still recovering. A part of her mind told her she shouldn't be so calm, that she needed to be cognizant as possible just in case something _else_ happened, but her infant body clearly had other ideas.

Her eyes drooped, falling asleep right there in Renato's arms.

o0o0o0o

When she next awoke, it was to what appeared to be an eleven or twelve-year-old boy with brown hair above her crib.

"She's so _cute_ ," cooed the boy in a tone that made Ori's skin crawl. "She's going to be quite the looker when she grows up--"

There was a _bang_ , something flying through the air, and Ori startled as the boy ducked his head, glaring over his shoulder. "Hey! You should be happy that I'm complimenting--"

There was another _bang,_ but Ori's less surprised by the noise as Renato came into view with a scowl on his face and gun in hand. "One more word, Shamal, and you won't live to regret it."

Shamal!? The womanizing doctor that hit on any cute female he saw, even the underaged ones?

Ori grimaced. Even if Shamal's existence, and relationship with Renato, gave her more confirmation that this was the KHR Universe as well as a possible timeline-- _Shamal was in his mid-thirties during canon, right? Then if he was about eleven... did that mean they were around twenty-four years before canon?--_ he was _not_ a character she would've said that she was looking forward to meeting if given the option.

However, Shamal didn't seem to get the memo, beaming at her. "Look at that, she's smiling at me! She has good taste."

"She does," Renato agreed. There was a beat of silence. "In that she's clearly disgusted with you."

"You're seeing things," Shamal dismissed before holding his hands up as Renato points his guns straight at him. "Easy! You want me to give her a check-up, right? I can't do that if I'm dead."

_'There's more that you can do after death than you'd think,'_ thought Ori wryly, not objecting as Renato lifted her out of the crib, clinging to him even if she knew he wouldn't let her fall. She was never going to get used to being like this--or, at least, she would and then have to figure out walking all over again.

From there, what appeared to be a typical check-up took place with Ori sitting on Renato's lap as Shamal looked her over. Which was a bit disconcerting given that Shamal appeared to be _eleven_. While she'd known that Lambo and I-Pin were decent fighters at five years old, it was another thing to think of an eleven-year-old being an accomplished (enough) doctor to be asked to do this.

Were people in this universe just more naturally talented than those on her Earth? Probably, yeah, when you had a middle schooler expected to become a mafia boss and face off world-ending threats--nonetheless the rest of the cast in their various ages. Or maybe it was just people in the mafia? Or Flame Users in general?

"She's surprisingly healthy for being the daughter of Milagros Veleno," Shamal said after taking a stethoscope away from her chest. "After all, that family was already dying out because of that weird toxin running through their veins, so she probably has your genes to thank for that."

It was only when Renato breathed out that Ori, being held to his chest, noticed that he'd been slightly tensed throughout all of this. Not that she wasn't also extremely grateful to find she wasn't dying of a 'weird toxin running through her veins.'

Seriously, what the hell? Ori had a feeling her standard for what was normal needed to change quickly if she wanted to survive...

"Of course," Renato said in response to Shamal's words, looking down at her. She raised her head up best as she could to meet his eyes, blinking as she met those black eyes--she hadn't seen herself in a mirror yet, so she didn't know if hers were really identical to his. "Does that mean she has Sun Flames?"

Shamal's brow furrowed. "I want to say yes... but that may be just your flames in her body right now. You put in the formula like I told you, right?"

Renato nodded. Ori wondered if it was as easy as it sounded. If she really did have Sun Flames, she could imagine herself making the bottle explode or cause the milk to evaporate--though she doubted Renato had to face such issues with his level of skill.

"Then, yeah, it might just be that," Shamal continued, "or that whatever flames she does have are being overshadowed by yours. I don't want to say she's Flame Deficient but... from what I felt, there's a strong chance she's fated to remain inactive her entire life, but she's only like a half-year-old so it's too early to really tell."

Deficient? Inactive flames? She wouldn't have complained about such a thing since she was rather powerless-- _in more ways than one--_ in her last life, but Giusto... Giusto hadn't been wrong when he said that her lineage put her in danger no matter what she wanted to do.

Yes, she'd... somehow... survived Giusto suffocating her-- _no, she hadn't survived, but, could she really have died again? Maybe she did have flames and those had somehow saved her, but were now depleted or something?--_ but she also didn't want to repeat that incident again, which meant she needed power. She couldn't expect Renato to protect her at every moment if he did stick around long term.

Evidently, Renato was thinking along the same lines if the frown on his face was any indication. Ori's stomach lurched. Was he disappointed? That his daughter may be a useless burden her entire life? But, he'd grown to care for Tsuna when he'd been pretty similar at the beginning, so maybe he'd come to care for her as much too?

But hadn't Reborn been asked by Nono himself to train Tsuna as the Tenth Vongola Boss? Tsuna, in all his weakness and clumsiness, had been fated for something far greater than her, so she couldn't really compare--

"It's fine," Renato said, breaking her from her thoughts. He smiled at her, rubbing her head gently. "Oriana will be great no matter what she does."

Ori's heart surged. Was... was this what it was like to have a parent's approval? Or, not approval, but unconditional love? Even if it wasn't, it...

_It was really nice._

Shamal, however, only made a face. "You're the last person I thought would be a doting parent. It's horrifying enough that I'm almost willing to go back to prison--"

Even the gunshot and sudden yelp that came after weren't enough to damper Ori's good mood.

o0o0o0o 

From then on, Ori's life settled into a new normal, but a far more pleasant one with her father, Renato, as a part of it. He couldn't always be there, often leaving her in the care of a spunky older woman named Nani, but when he was... it was pretty nice.

It took her some time to notice, but it was made clear that while Renato hadn't necessarily been prepared for Ori's existence in his life, or the way his own life would change because of it, that he was making a great deal of effort to adjust accordingly.

Ori could see it in the way her nursery was filled with the brim with toys (her favorite being a chameleon plushie that was the size of her and imbued with his flames for her to cuddle with while he was away), the way Renato spent every moment with her when he was around, and the way he added Sun Flames to her bottle even after she'd fully recovered from her injuries.

It'd didn't fully register that Renato had accepted being her father until her birthday.

Ori had apparently been born on October 10th-- _wasn't that Xanxus's birthday? Well, there were a lot of characters in the KHR Universe, so she supposed there was a decent chance to share a birthday with one of them--_ and she awoke to the sound of Renato singing _happy birthday_.

Once she'd been fully awaken, he'd scooped Ori up and brought her to the kitchen which was completely decked out in decorations and even a banner that read _Happy Birthday, Oriana_ in bright yellow letters. There was a small cake in the middle with a single candle, and Leon off to the side wearing a party hat of all things.

It should've been kinda sad that she was celebrating her birthday with only her father and a chameleon, but she'd never been more touched in her life. In _either_ life.

She'd never been much of a crier in her past life-- _what was the point when it was only a nuisance--_ but she burst into tears right then and there in her highchair.

_'Please,'_ she thought, praying to whatever deity existed out there as Renato (frantically) tried to calm her down, lifting her in his arms and holding her close while flooding her with warm, ever-comforting Sun Flames. _'Please let it continue like this. I'll do anything.'_

_..._

Of course... that wasn't how it worked.

_Not for her._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Murder, unexplainable resurrection, and cute family moments... a great combination, for sure! 
> 
> And Renato trying to hide how honestly unprepared he was to be a father is both hilarious and endearing. I can't wait to post his POV of this chapter. Too bad this fluff can't last forever... ;)
> 
> Make sure to check out [Links in the Chain](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26823052/chapters/65439028#workskin) for outside POVs! So far, there's two oneshots of Renato and Baby Ori to help for future angst lol.
> 
> Please leave a Comment or Kudos to tell me what you think!


	3. Stealing Sunlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously:
> 
> Ori dies for the second, but somehow comes back to life? Giusto, just as confused as her, tries to kill her again, but is killed by a certain hitman.
> 
> Father and daughter finally meet, resulting in Renato taking Ori home. A brief check-up by an 11-year-old Shamal reveals Ori to be "Flame Deficient," but can that really be right? 
> 
> Even if that was the case, Ori was fine with it, wishing that she could just stay with her father forever...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really loving all the support thus far so thank you so much!!!! 
> 
> Don't forget to check out the side stories for this in [Links in the Chaint](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26823052/chapters/65439028#workskin)
> 
> I'm pushing Ori through childhood at a fast and furious rate, so you might need the fluff in Links in the Chain to withstand all the angst coming up lol.
> 
> As a side note, I was sooooo tempted to have Ori meet the Arcobaleno before the Curse, particularly Luce, but I couldn't see Renato exposing his helpless baby girl to people he didn't either completely trust or have suitable leverage against, even if he was somewhat friends with them at this time. 
> 
> (Hmm, maybe I'll make an AU of it...)

Her first birthday past, and then another, and then another.

Before long, Ori found herself speaking and then walking again. She was overjoyed by her new freedoms, nearly bouncing off the walls–a feeling only made worse whenever her father was around with his energy-boosting Sun Flames.

Ori's hyperactivity drove Nani, her caretaker when Papa was away, understandably crazy--particularly since Renato didn't like Nani taking Ori outside, even in disguise, when he wasn't around to supervise.

One time, Ori, while playing with Leon-- _read: watching Leon crawl over her while engaging in Staring Contest 314--_ had overheard Nani chiding Renato for keeping Ori homeschooled until then.

"--being stuck in this safehouse is no kind of life for a child," Nani had been saying, standing in the kitchen with Ori's father. "Hiding her connection to you is more than manageable right now, so she needs to go to school and interact with others her age."

When Renato remained silent, Nani raised an eyebrow. "Unless you plan to start bringing her along on your hits?"

Even Ori had felt the heat from Renato's glare at that comment, but Nani didn't back down.

Ori wasn't exactly sure what Nani's relationship to Renato was-- _though she'd heard Nani call Renato the 'little boy who pilfered coffee from her cafe' so she assumed that Nani had known her father as a child--_ but it was clear that Renato respected her opinion beyond just trusting her to watch over Ori when he went on his 'missions.'

Still, he hadn't looked too please at Nani's words, shadowing his face with his fedora in a way Ori knew for sure was to hide whatever intense feelings he didn't want others seeing.

By now, Ori knew that Renato cared deeply for her, otherwise he wouldn't let her be such a disruption to his career by coming back to visit her all the time, and was clearly worried that someone-- _or even the Veleno Family--_ would go after her to be his weakness.

Thus, Ori wasn't entirely surprised when, later that night, Renato started to teach her more about disguises, showing her an extensive collection of wigs, contacts, and makeup suitable for a three-year-old. It'd been a great time, especially when they'd somehow gotten into a contest of 'who could wear the most bizarre costume without breaking character.'

Of course, Ori had lost, dissolving into uncontrollable giggles as Renato, solemn-faced, posed as what looked to be some sort of cross between an astronaut and an octopus. Was that some kind of mascot in this world? And how did her father manage to not look absolutely ridiculous wearing it!?

Renato smirked down at her, dropping his pose to kneel down and poke her nose. "Laughing at me, little bella?"

"N-No, Papa," she clearly lied, trying to get her laughter under control--an attempt that failed even more when Renato tilted his head just so. "Octopi are very cute!"

He quirked his eyebrow, expression turning wry. "You better not ever let the Lackey hear you say that. He'll never shut up."

Ori paused, cheeks and stomach aching as her thoughts churned. While Renato could be talking about a literal lackey, was it possible that...

"Who's Lackey, Papa?" she asked finally.

"An idiot," Renato replied bluntly. Which, for a guy dressed up as a space octopus, calling was rather bold in her eyes. "You won't ever meet him, don't worry."

The fact that her father had referred to Lackey as an actual person could only mean one thing... he was referring to _Skull_ \--the Immortal Stuntman.

The World's Strongest Cloud had seemed rather foolish from what Ori had read, but one couldn't get to that position and not have a few tricks hidden up their sleeve, right? Especially one who appeared to have suffered as much as he did from the other Arcobaleno and being unwillingly dragged into the mafia world.

Was it possible he was hiding his true feelings and thoughts? It was a baseless theory, but if Skull thought that those around him wouldn't accept the truth or had long given up trying... it was a sentiment she could more than relate to.

In _both_ lives.

Ori abruptly stopped laughing, only somewhat noticing Renato's brow furrow at her reaction, as a thought occurred to her.

Was... was it possible that she was a Cloud?

Or that, maybe, Skull could unwittingly have the answers about why she'd... about what had happened with Giusto years ago? Or maybe even with her reincarnation?

( _Maybe Skull had been to **that** place?)_

Of course, Ori could be over speculating, but there wasn't much else to do when she was literally stuck inside and had very little entertainment. She knew it wouldn't always be this easy, so she needed to prepare as best as she could–even if it was only for the events she knew from canon KHR.

Even if Skull didn't have answers, the fact that Renato was working with him-- _and to the point that, regardless of her father's words, Ori could tell Renato liked him--_ meant that they, the future Arcobaleno, had been officially brought together. 

How long did they have until the Man with the Iron hat, Kawahira-- _a man Ori had only randomly read about in her Past Life with words like 'Tri-ni-sette' and 'Earthlings' being mentioned--_ cursed them? Even if Ori had heard about how cursing the Arcobaleno was essential to maintain the balance of this world, or something, she didn't want that for her father!

"I want to meet him," Ori declared, all her thoughts culminating to this one point. Her lips pressed together as she looked up at her father, trying to hold back her growing fear. "Please, Papa?"

Renato blinked before sitting down and pulling her on his lap. "Why is that, little bella?"

"I..."

What was she supposed to say? That she was afraid he'd get cursed to live in an infant's body? That she'd been reincarnated from a world where _this_ world was just fiction? That she had no way to prove whether or not the things she remembered through the hazy of death were accurate?

That she... was a lie masquerading as his daughter?

"Oriana?"

She bit her lip, looking down with hands clenching.

"I want..." Ori tried again, not willing to give up but also uncertain how she could do anything in her current state. "I want to meet Papa's friends. Please?"

Something in Renato's expression shifted. He breathed out, patting her head.

"They're really dangerous people, Oriana," Renato said, but there was no malice in his tone.

"Papa will protect me," Ori replied, though hesitant because she wouldn't want to put him in a position that he was forced to do so.

The Arcobaleno, from what she'd seen, were all extremely powerful in their own ways and, depending on their motivation, could be on opposite sides to each other regardless of their shared fate. Had it always been that way? They must've been able to get along somewhat during this time to work together as the World's Strongest Seven, right?

Renato smirked. "Of course, but they're more troublesome than you'd expect, little bella." He paused. "You'll be starting school in a few weeks. I know you'll make friends there."

She blinked. Did he think that Ori was lonely and that was why she wanted to meet his fellow Arcobaleno? To be friends with them?

It... was somewhat incorrect-- _even with Nani giving Ori most of her attention, it did get rather quiet in the safehouse while her father was away--_ but Ori didn't know another angle she could come from other than that. Not if she wanted to avoid suspicion.

So, with a decision she would regret for the rest of her life, Ori didn't ask again.

o0o0o0o

She never did start school.

The first explosion had come in the middle of the night, Ori bolting up from her bed, initially disoriented before realizing that the sound had sounded _too close_ for comfort.

Before Ori could so much as place her feet on the floor, Nani came rushing into her room, picking her right up and running down the hallway to where the trapdoor to the 'bunker,' as Ori called it, laid hidden beneath some carpets.

Her father had been working on the bunker for years, seeming to tell Nani to add another layer of security and protection on it with each visit. A paranoia that, if the yells from outside the house were any indication, had suddenly become very necessary.

Ori didn't object as Nani rushed them inside, locking a series of doors behind them as they descended down into a simple metal and concrete room. There were cameras on one wall, a bed on the other, and a chest full of toys identical to the one upstairs in Ori's room.

"Don't worry, Ori," Nani said, eyes glowing blue as she sent Rain Flames to comfort Ori while turning on the cameras.

The screens lit up to show what appeared to be a mob outside of the safehouse. Ori's blood ran cold at the sight. Who was attacking them? Why now? Had the Veleno Family come for her?

"Your father designed this safehouse to be insanely secure," Nani continued, though she didn't relax or let go of Ori. "It'd take them half a day to get in here and that's more than enough time for Renato to return. I've already sent him a signal, so we just need to wait it out."

And, yet, hours passed with no sign of Ori's father.

There were no calls saying that he was on his way, and any attempts to contact him went straight to voicemail. It wasn't even that there was no reception or that the calls weren't getting through, he just wasn't answering for some reason.

Her caretaker tried to remain calm, but Ori knew that Nani was growing more worried as time passed and their unknown attackers continued to try and get in.

Nani tried to get Ori to go to sleep as she stood watch, but didn't argue when Ori had stayed awake instead, soothing her when the attackers finally got inside and ransacked the house in search for them--Nani cursing under her breath as she recognized them to be members of the Veleno Family to Ori's silent terror.

Nani kept repeating that, even though they'd gotten inside the house, they wouldn't be able to find them. The entrance to the bunker had been coated with Mist Illusions--courtesy of Shamal--and it'd take a very powerful Mist to notice it, but...

Seven hours had passed when, finally, on the cameras, there was the sound of multiple shots--then of Veleno Family members running away.

Ori's hope surged and she outright cheered as Renato appeared on screen, firing bullets with a singular intensity and piercing the flesh of any who stood in his way. There were yells screaming his name as the attackers retreated.

Nani breathed a sigh of relief, pressing one hand to her face. She flipped a switch, speaking into a microphone that broadcasted into the house. "Took your time, boy. I swear I'm rationing your espressos for a year for this."

Renato smirked, just nodding his head. Ori should've known something was wrong when he didn't speak-- _didn't ask about her--_ but she was too relieved to see him that she rushed up the stairs, bouncing in place as she smacked at the door. "Papa!"

Ori didn't see the way Nani's eyes narrowed as the gaze of the Renato on the camera sharpened, going straight to the spot in the hallway where the bunker was hidden.

"Renato," Nani said sharply. "What's the password?"

"Password?" Ori's blood went cold. That wasn't her father's voice. "Why would I need a password to see my daughter?"

Nani's eyes widened, spinning around as she reached towards Ori on the stairs. "Ori, get away--"

It was too late as an indigo mist slipped through the cracks of the door, wrapping around Ori before she could get away. Ori screamed, struggling int the arms of 'Renato' who reformed from the mist.

"Oof, that's always such a rush." He-- _she--_ stared down at Ori with a wide, manic grin. "Hi, baby! Happy to see your Mama again?"

" _Milagros!"_ Nani snarled, pointing her blue-coated sickles at the Imposter Renato, but hesitating as Milagros wrapped a hand around Ori's throat. "You..."

"So you're the one Renato has been trusting our daughter with?" Milagros asked, her appearance shifting again until it was that same, psychotic woman that Ori hoped she'd only see in her nightmares. "An old cafe owner? How boring."

"Put Ori down," Nani's voice didn't shake, but Ori knew she was afraid by the way her eyes flickered down to Ori before back at Milagros again, "or you'll see how interesting it is to watch your guts fall to the floor."

Milagros laughed. "Now, when you phrase it like that, why would I?" Before Nani could say anything else, Milagros' grip tightened around Ori's throat. "Now, put the weapon down, or she-- _Ori, was it? Cute name_ \--gets a bit suffocated."

Nani's grip around her sickles tightened, sweat dripping down her face as she glanced at the men rushing down the stairs. "Don't you feel anything at threatening your own daughter?"

"Of course." The smile on Milagros' face twisted as her men pointed their guns at Nani. "Renato's reaction when he finds out that his precious baby girl is dead or taken... I just can't wait to see it!"

A high-pitched laugh escaped Milagros her expression shifted back to normal, as if bored again. The Boss of the Veleno Family shrugged. "It's your choice, really, either die quietly... or die after I kill her. I'm not picky."

"Don't do it, Nani!" Ori cried out, finally finding her voice and struggling to get out of Milagros grip. Milagros glanced down at her curiously, as if amused by her attempts and squeezing tight enough to leave nasty bruises. "Please!"

"Ori..." The smile on Nani's face was heartbreaking, the sound of her sickles hitting the ground deafening. "I'm sorry, but can you please close your eyes? And tell your father that I don't regret it--any of it."

Nani's eyes remained open even as the men prepared to fire, far braver than Ori had been when facing down her death.

Despite it being her caretaker's last request, Ori kept her eyes wide open, tears pouring down her face as she reached out, desperate to stop them, desperate that Nani wouldn't die _because Ori existed_ \--

The shots fired. 

_"NANI!"_

Nani's falling body, ridden with bullets and blood, was the last thing Ori saw before her vision dissolved into a hazy swirl of indigo.

o0o0o0o

The next time Ori woke up, she was seated in what appeared to be a plane with Milagros staring out of the window across from her with a bored expression. A quick glance out of the window next to Ori showed that they were thousands of feet in the air, the ground below them indecipherable beneath the thick layer of clouds.

A part of Ori wanted to scream, to rant and rage for the unfairness of Nani's death-- _of her sacrifice for Ori who should have never been **born**_ \--but forced herself to get her emotions under control. If Ori broke down now, she would only be ensuring that Nani's efforts were completely meaningless. She needed to stay calm and not make it more difficult for her father to save her.

_(A part of her whispered it was better that Renato didn't come to save her... after all, she'd just proven, without a doubt this time, was a mistake her existence was.)_

Though Ori tried not to bring attention to herself, Milagros head jolted towards her a few seconds later, narrowing in on the three-year-old like a predator who had caught sight of their next prey.

The Boss of the Veleno Family grinned, expression deranged as ever. "About time you woke up! If Giusto was here, I'd ask if kids your age are supposed to sleep so much, but he's dead, so he wouldn't be the best person to ask, would he?"

Milagros laughed, probably thinking that Ori had no clue who she was talking about. Frankly, Ori wished that she didn't.

"Where are you taking me?" Ori asked, swallowing as she glanced around. It didn't appear anyone else was around, but with Milagros' powerful Mist Flames, Ori doubted that she'd be aware even if there was.

Ori swallowed, remembering the way Milagros had disguised herself as her father. If she hadn't foolishly gone up to the door, hadn't alerted her to where the bunker was, would she have been able to prevent Nani's death? Or at least delayed it? Maybe Nani would've been able to fight, to escape and _live_ , if Ori hadn't been a hostage--

_She needed to focus._

"Nowhere you need to know," Milagros said, waving her hand. "Just sit and enjoy the ride! To be honest, I'm rather disappointed that it's going this smoothly." She frowned, pursing her lips and pouting like she was the child here. "I really thought that Renato would've come after us by now, even with that cheeky Sky saying he'd be busy at this time."

Ori's eyes widened as Milagros laughed. "I heard rumors about her powers, but I didn't think they'd be this accurate!"

Who was she talking about? Had someone hurt Ori's father? Who even _could_?

Unless... _did this have something to do with the Arcobaleno Curse?_

"Why are you doing this?" Ori asked quietly, trying to contain her shaking. "You know that Papa isn't going to let you get away with this."

Ori forced herself to remain calm. There was no confirmation that she was anywhere near the right ballpark in thinking something had happened to the Arcobalenos. That _The Fated Day_ had happened just as Milagros decided to kidnap Ori... or that someone somehow _knew_ said event was going to happen and had decided to betray Renato like this.

Yet, if the next most likely answer-- _the first being that Papa was... injured or indisposed in some way that prevented him from coming--_ was her father making the choice leave Nani and Ori to die... he wouldn't do that.

_(He wouldn't.)_

"Weren't you listening before, spawn?" Milagros asked in response to Ori's question, laughing. "I don't _want_ to! Being Boss of the Veleno Family is _so_ boring, you don't even know. With everyone dropping like flies the past few years, some of those stuffy elders thought that the best way to survive was to 'make connections' and 'marry into Families' and 'seduce the World's Greatest Hitman' and blah blah _blah_ , but I say, why prolong inevitable demise?"

Her arms spread out like wings, eyes manic and vacant as if she wasn't really all there. "No, wouldn't it be better to go out with a _bang_ instead? And what's more interesting than to provoke one of the strongest men in the world?"

Ori couldn't contain the shiver that went down her spine. "You're insane."

"If that's how you want to see it." Milagros shrugged, suddenly nonchalant in the worst way, looking at her nails. "The government and even the mafia try to use their rules and logic to define everything... but the fact of the matter is that this very _world_ is insane."

Milagros sighed, looking up at the roof as if lost in thought. "Try to fight it all you want, but it _will_ consume you eventually." She grinned, her eyes closing. "That's why it's better to have fun while you can, because it'll never last anyway."

Her words were unsettlingly calm, as if this was the first lucid thing to come out of Milagros mouth during the time Ori had been in her presence. Somehow, these words chilled Ori to the bone more than Milagros' unhinged rants.

"So is that why you're running away?" Ori asked as she tried to make sense of the conversation. "Because it'll be more _fun_ to have Papa chase you as you use me as a hostage?"

Milagros gasped. "Yes! Maybe you really are my kid to understand that. I would've thought that Renato had infected you with his _Cool Bastard Syndrome_..." Milagros frowned. "But maybe you're just using that 'logic' he's _soooo_ proud of."

She pouted again, looking at Ori as if more disappointed than ever. "Surely there's something of me in that noggin of yours, right?" An unsettling, savage grin grew on Milagros' face. "Maybe I can look and _see_ if there is? Be more interesting than just waiting around."

A chill went down Ori's spine.

What was Milagros talking about? She knew that Milagros could make her pass out using Mist Illusions, but she... she couldn't _actually_ go into Ori's mind and look around, right?

In KHR, Viper hadn't shown any signs of being able to do that, at least in Ori's knowledge, and they were the Strongest Mist. Though, Mukuro had been able to possess people, so someone having the ability to read minds wasn't that much of a stretch.

If Milagros _could_ look into Ori's mind, see her thoughts and memories... would she see her past life? The possible future for the KHR Universe?

If that happened... Ori knew Milagros would manipulate events to her amusement, doing every last thing she could to _ruin_ the fates of everyone there.

Of Tsuna.

Of _her father_. 

_She couldn't let that happen!_

Ori bolted from her seat, rushing down the aisle as fast as her short little legs could, but there was nowhere to go. Milagros caught up quickly, cackling as she picked Ori up by the arm and pinned her against the wall, eyes swirling with madness.

"Oh?" Milagros asked, leaning in closer until their foreheads were nearly touching. "Do you have something interesting to hide?"

Ori couldn't even respond, choking as Milagros _ripped into her mind--_

_Random images of the life--her **first** life--flew by her mind like some sort of drug-induced slideshow of her existence with even Milagros being astonished at her memories of being older--Of being in a world that was similar yet not--_

_Of being unwanted and left to the foster system--_

_Of others avoiding her at school and being unable to find a reason to approach her classmates--_

_Of acting like this loneliness didn't bother her, that she had no reason to complain--_

_Of hoping that, if she kept working, one day, she'd find something worthwhile--_

_And, then, finding something that **did** brighten her existence._

_Then memories focused on reading the first volume of Katekyo Hitman Reborn, giggling to herself as she read about Reborn's violent exasperation and Tsuna's clumsy antics--_

_Ori **tried** to pull Milagros away from those, to protect those precious memories, but the woman didn't budge, just obsessively digging in even **deeper** into her brain--_

_Then, it flashed forward to the moments of Ori's first death._

_Of how **excited** she was as she went home after another late night of work, eagerly **clutching** the latest issue of Katekyo Hitman Reborn that she had devoted her overtime hours towards--_

_Of how **scared** she was when she realized she was being followed by some gang members she'd brushed off the other day--_

_Of how she **tried** to find some business to safely go into, but being turned away when the store owners realized she was being followed and knew she wasn't worth the trouble that helping her or calling the cops would bring--_

_Of **running** away, still clutching her manga, and being cornered on a bridge with nowhere to go--_

_Of **fighting** , a struggle, before being pushed over into the water--_

_Of **cursing** the fact that she'd never learned to swim, that having no one willing to teach her wasn't an excuse--_

_Of **realizing** she was going to **die** and no one would **SAVE HER** \--_

_..._

_Of being **reborn**... and looking up to see Milagros for the first time..._

_...and then dying **again** as Giusto suffocated her._

_But not staying dead._

_Of **coming back to life** \--_

Ori head was in _agony_ as Milagros ripped herself back, letting Ori fall to the ground of the plane _hard_ as the woman stumbled back in her high heels. Tears ran down Ori's face, vision blurry, but she strained to look up at Milagros. There was a vacant expression on her face.

Then, Milagros began to _laugh._

"This is... this is incredible!" Milagros' eyes were glazed as she clawed at her face, unconcerned as the nails bit into the flesh. "Other worlds? Possible futures? Overcoming _death!?_ "

Ori trembled on the ground, her body refusing to answer her screams to get up.

At the corner of her eye, Ori could see the background shifting. Was it on purpose? Or had Milagros' Mist Flames gone out of control?

Milagros didn't seem to notice, shrieking with laughter as their surroundings swam in color and with visions of Ori's Pasrt Life. "What a horrific _monster_ I've given birth to... Oh, I've never been so proud _in my LIFE!"_

There was someone speaking-- _panicking--_ over the intercom, but Ori's ears were popping and she couldn't make out what was being said. All she knew was that the plane had begun to violently shake, swaying in the air as if the pilot had just lost control.

Unconcerned as the oxygen masks dropped and things began to fall around the cabin, Milagros knelt down next to her. She grabbed Ori by the shoulders, shaking her tiny body erratically.

"You were sent here for a reason, weren't you?" Milagros raved, expression filled with joy and rapture. "All my prayers have finally been answered! _You're here to_ **_destroy_** _this world."_

Ori screamed, but her voice was drowned out as the plane made a sudden dip. The two of them violently separated, their bodies flying in the air and flattening against the nearest surface.

 _'The plane is falling,'_ thought Ori frantically, clutching the side of a seat as tightly as she could. The pilot must've been pulled into Milagros' destabilizing illusions and lost complete control, but what good did that knowledge do her!? _What could she do in this situation!?_

Milagros was still cackling somewhere in the background, but the tears in Ori's eyes blinded her to the point everything was a haze of sound and color.

Was this where it finally ended? It would be better if it would--if Ori _didn't_ come back to life the third time.

Ori closed her eyes, hyperventilating as she wished for it all to end. For good, this time.

She just hoped that her father would get over her death quickly.

_(She ignored the part of her that hoped, even now, that her father would suddenly appear and save her... to save her the way he'd been too late to when Giusto suffocated her.)_

There was a sudden ringing in her ears--

_Everything dissolved into flames and darkness._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To ShowdownShowcase who mentioned that I have a habit of ending my chapters with cliffhangers or extreme distress: yes, yes I do XD
> 
> Hi Psycho Mom! Jeez, Milagros just TOOK OVER and made herself known whether I wanted her to or not lol.
> 
> Any theories for why Renato didn't come to rescue Ori? 
> 
> I mean, it's perfectly understandable that he can't be everywhere at once and death/mistakes do happen (regardless of power) as seen with Nono's sons... but I do have a reason I've hinted to in this case ;)
> 
> Please leave a Comment or Kudos to tell me your thoughts!


	4. Surviving The Streets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously:
> 
> Three-year-old Ori and her caretaker, Nani, are attacked by the Veleno Family. They call Renato for help, but there's no answer. Ori mistakes a disguised Milagros as Renato, resulting in Nani's murder and Ori's capture.
> 
> After waking up on the plane, Milagros decides to look through Ori's mind, discovering Ori's secrets of being a reincarnation and having died multiple times. This knowledge snaps Milagros' fragile insanity, causing her to lose control of her illusions and send the plane crashing from the sky...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, life has been insanely busy lately. My area got hit by a hurricane for the first time in two decades and it really tore up the place, and then work/school got even busier... sigh.
> 
> Also, last chapter, GhostSquid (booksandbrownies) asked if I chose Oriana's name by random of if I had particular reasoning: 
> 
> Oriana has a lot of meanings (Golden, Light, Sun), but I liked how it meant "Dawn" in Latin, because this is the "Dawn" of her new life and she is the child of the "Sun." That, and for Renato, she is the "New Light" of his life.
> 
> Also, the name Ori, alone, is a Yoruba metaphysical concept referring to one's spiritual intuition and destiny--the reflective spark of human consciousness. 
> 
> This fits VERY well for her role later on in the story, the reason behind her repeated rebirths back into this world, and her own struggle in figuring out what to do with this knowledge.

An infant wearing a fedora stood in front of the wreckage of a burning plane. His suit was covered in soot and his generally pristine hair a mess, but Renato didn't give a damn, focused only on searching for something he didn't want to find.

Hours passed until Renato forced himself to concede that there were only two bodies in the crash. One in the cockpit, and another in the passenger part of the plane. Both were crushed and burned beyond recognition, but undeniably _adult_ bodies. 

_Oriana wasn't there_.

This confirmation both filled Renato with hope and despair. Hope because it meant that, wherever the Veleno had smuggled her off to, she had to at least be _alive_.

Despair because every clue had pointed to her being on this plane with Milagros. Not only that, but there was still no sign of _why_ the pilot had suddenly crashed the plane.

Maybe it was a suicide attempt to take out Milagros? He wouldn't be surprised with the members of the Veleno, particularly after Giusto's actions to try and smother Oriana in her crib all those years ago.

Renato's hand tightened around his gun, pissed off that there were no survivors to even shoot at, and that shooting anything less than the living, breathing bodies of the _scum_ who had taken his daughter would be a waste of a bullet.

But, no, he had to contain his anger.

Renato wouldn't _rage_ like he so desperately had wanted to when he first arrived back to his safehouse-- _stumbling inside even as his mind demanded he not let **what happened** stop him from getting to Oriana, mind and soul rejecting this **freakish** body, on the verge of being sick as his flames were **consumed** by this cursed **THING** around his neck--_only to find it destroyed, the telltale sign of Flames being used to ransack every room and leave his home in tatters.

And, then, finding the door to the bunker torn off with the bloody body of Nani at the bottom of the steps and the recording of Oriana being captured...

...yes, it had been difficult to remain in control, but he needed to.

For Oriana's sake.

He would hunt down and _destroy_ every last connection to the Veleno Family if that was what it took to get her back.

No matter what, he _would_ find her.

With that, Renato turned and forced himself to walk away, refusing to pass out no matter how exhaustion and dysphoria rang through his body.

All the while, he never noticed the faint mist lingering in the air.

If the hitman had, he would've dismissed them as smoky remnants of the destruction, because there was no sign of life or Flames coming from them.

He would've been right.

_...and yet so wrong._

o0o0o0o

_..._

_She was there again..._

_..._

_In the **fog**._

_..._

_This time, she could tell she was staying in **this place** longer than before when Giusto had suffocated her..._

_..._

_A lot longer._

_..._

_But, like before, the only thing she could decipher was the **numbness**..._

_..._

_The utter lack of **anything** around her as she floated in non-existence..._

_..._

_Then..._

_..._

_There was **pain--**_

_Ori gasped as_ her eyes flew open, lungs seeming to collapse in her chest as she frantically reached out for something, _anything_ , to stabilize her--but there was _nothing there_.

Vision blurred, Ori looked over to where her right arm was, panic growing when she saw, instead of her usual limb, there was nothing but _smoke_ in the shape of her right arm. When she moved, the _smoke_ moved, sending a blinding _agony_ that paralyzed her small form.

A part of her registered that there was dirt beneath her, the smell of _ash_ and _soot_ filling her nose as she desperately tried to take in air, but never quite succeeding.

She was pretty sure she was having a panic attack, but was helpless to do anything but endure it as awareness slowly began to trickle back. Wherever she was, no one was around to interrupt her, so she just laid there, struggling to make sense of what was happening.

After what felt like an eternity, Ori regained control of her breathing, blinking teary eyes against what could only be the blinding light of the sun above her. But, unlike her father's flames, there was nothing comforting or forgiving about the orb in the sky bearing down on her, seeming to mock her for her weakness.

 _'C'mon, Ori, that's enough,'_ she told herself, forcing herself to focus. _'Think. What happened? Where are you? What can you do now?'_

Nerves settling with her newfound mantra, Ori blinked the tears from her eyes as she looked around. She appeared to be in some sort of open field... but a field where an explosion had to have happened if the scorched earth and chunks of metal scattered around were any indication.

Wildly, Ori wondered if it was the wreckage of the plane crashing-- _Milagros... she was dead, right? She'd gone, even more, insane, and her Mist Illusions had caused the plane to crash--_ but that made no sense... right?

Even as Ori tried to reject the growing theory, the doubt and uncertainty she'd been feeling since her (second) death boiled over--and she could no longer deny it.

She had _died_.

...but had also come back to life?

And, instead of being reincarnated into another world, another body, she'd somehow returned to her three-year-old body in this one.

Although... Ori glanced at her right arm made of smoke, the previously scattered fragments seeming to settle back into its proper shape, that strange mix of _numbness_ and _agony_ permeating it. Or, at least, she'd returned in what _looked_ to be her body? Not like she had a mirror on hand.

She tried to get up, but only fell back down as she realized something was wrong with her legs. They felt the same as her right arm did, that identical _numbness_ that she'd originally thought was just a lingering feeling of _that_ place permeating her legs.

Like the coward she was, she didn't look back, to confirm whether or not her legs were actually there or made of smoke-- _Mist? Clouds?--_ like her arm.

Suddenly, Ori had a flashback to the Varia Arc when Viper had gone up against Mukuro--the way they had turned into mist after Mukuro destroyed their physical body.

Was that what was going on here? Had her body turned into Mist every time... she had died?

Was her body reforming now from the plane crash? Did it take more time to reform depending on how hurt she got?

If so, it would make sense why Ori had come back near-instantly after Giusto had suffocated her, while it'd appeared to have taken longer this time.

Given the lack of wreckage around her, yet lack of grass growing back yet, it'd had to have at least been a week since the plane crash... maybe longer.

Endless questions and theories filled her mind, but Ori latched on to the hope that there was a reasonable-- _or at least as reasonable as there could be in a world of mafia and magic--_ explanation for what was happening with her.

After all, Skull was called the Immortal Stuntman and, again, Mammon had survived that one fight against Mukuro, so maybe this kind of 'immortality' wasn't entirely impossible?

Yet... Ori hadn't heard of any other Mist or Cloud who could do things like that in the KHR Universe, and Giusto had certainly freaked out when Ori started breathing again, so what did that mean?

If what was essentially immortality was something only powerful Flame Users could do, why could she do it? Especially since Shamal had called her Flame Deficient? Did it have something to do with her reincarnation?

In the end, all Ori had were more questions, and it'd probably stay that way until she was willing to 'test out' her theories.

_Yeah, not happening._

One she had... completely reformed, there was nothing Ori could do but head for the city she located in the distance. She hoped that, once there, she'd figure out what the next best step to take was.

It took all day to reach the city by foot and she was astonished to find she was still in Sicily where her father's safe house was located. It felt like a victory, that home wasn't so far away... until she realized she didn't know her own address.

It was, perhaps, the most pathetic and despair-filled realization she'd ever had.

To be fair, Ori hadn't been let out much and, when she had, she'd been carried and paid more attention to the one carrying her rather than her surroundings, so she could've walked right by Nani's cafe and not known it. 

_'How am I supposed to find Papa like this?'_ Ori thought. The endless blocks of the city, which had once held her fascination, now felt like an insurmountable task.

As her stomach growled, empty from however long she'd been dead and spending the day walking out in the blistering sun, it finally occurred to Ori that she might not be able to find her father again so easily, and there was a high chance of dying again before she did. 

Not only did Ori have no way to contact or locate him, any attempts to make her presence known could only backfire. After all, the Veleno Family had somehow found her at the safehouse, so who's to say others wouldn't recognize her if she made her presence known?

Not only that, but the World's Greatest Hitman had made countless enemies who would undoubtedly love to kill her if only for the bragging rights should they discover her identity.

She'd idly wondered if she should try to find Vongola, but that was an even worse idea than the Namimori Plan since she'd have to find some random lackey, who'd either not believe her or have no power to help her meet her father, in the best-case scenario, or be killed in the worst-case scenario as mentioned above. 

While she'd always known how dangerous this world and her lineage was, it wasn't until now that Ori realized how utterly defenseless she was.

That first night on the streets was hard and, after scavenging for food in a restaurant's trash, she fell asleep beside a dumpster. Yet, it wasn't the gnawing hunger and cold that bothered her the most, but the fact she didn't know what to do.

Revealing herself would undoubtedly lead to her death, but if Ori didn't, she might never find her father again. Professionals had trouble tracking Renato Sinclair down, nonetheless a powerless three-year-old currently living on the streets with no support whatsoever.

A part of her ridiculously thought that she should try to get to Namimori, Japan, and wait for when he went there to train Tsuna.

The obvious problems in that plan being that Ori had no money, no identity (that she could prove or show if she wanted to avoid attention), and if she'd been correct on her previous estimations of Shamal's age... she was about two decades away from when canon started. It was frankly possible that Tsuna's mother didn't even _live_ there currently.

 _'Twenty years,'_ Ori thought, huddling the newspapers closer to her shivering body. _'Will I have to wait that long?'_

o0o0o0o

Months flew by and Ori, slowly, adjusted to being another street rat among hundreds in Sicily. It wasn't easy, especially as she was competing against others who'd clearly been doing this a lot longer.

She... had actually starved to death a few times. Not that Ori noticed immediately the first time, having taken a day to understand why she'd felt so sick and weak one moment and then relatively whole--if _numb--_ the next morning.

It got to the point that Ori was terrified she'd stay in this cycle of death and life for the next twenty years. That was, until, she finally figured out how to use her Mist Flames.

Or, at least, Ori was _pretty sure_ they were Mist Flames, and not Cloud like she'd first assumed (though, wasn't there something about Mists being earth-bound clouds?).

The biggest clue was the (mortifying) realization she wasn't actually wearing clothes–it just _looked_ and felt like she was wearing clothes, but, when she 'found' a shirt to change into and went to take off her own... it disappeared.

Later, she figured out that the clothes were there when she reformed because a part of her assumed they should be there-- _she's in public, of course she's wearing clothes!--_ and her subconscious Mist Flames had responded accordingly.

However, it wasn't nearly as easy to make her Mist Flames respond when she actually _tried_ to. It was as if they went back to being 'Flame Inactive' the moment she acknowledged them.

Another horrifying realization was that she was best able to manipulate them when she came back to life, as if whatever propelled her back to the KHR Universe made her Mist Flames come to the surface--which was entirely possible given the whole Dying Will Flame thing she'd never entirely understood.

It took a while-- _and more accidental deaths than she would be comfortable with admitting--_ but she'd finally been able to work on command while running away from an angry stall owner, certain that she'd be beaten to death and just wishing to _disappear_.

It hadn't been until the stall owner had come into the alleyway Ori was hiding in and looked _right at her_ that she realized she'd made her body match the bricks behind her, like some sort of chameleon.

_(She couldn't wait until she reunited with her father--she and Leon would be like twins!)_

Although depressed at the confirmation that she'd inherited Milagros Mist Flames instead of her Papa's warm and comforting Sun Flames, Ori reluctantly admitted Mist Flames would probably prove more useful in her current situation.

She'd known from the start that her eyes and curly sideburns would catch attention-- _her hair though... it was no longer a jet black like her father's had been, but now had a wispy indigo tint to it that got worse every time she died--_ so, as best as she could, she'd been hiding her appearance with whatever she could find.

There were a few close calls, narrowed eyes staring at her as if a part of their mind whispered this street rat bore a resemblance to a certain hitman, but she'd managed to escape overall notice--the one good thing about being an easily dismissed, dirty street urchin.

But, with new access to her Mist Flames, Ori started experimenting to layer illusions over her own appearance--almost like a second skin.

She had a feeling that, if she wanted to, she'd be able to literally shapeshift her body--as uncomfortable that thought made her. While making herself look older-- _like the age of her Past Life--_ could be advantageous, something felt... wrong about it.

It also wasn't remotely doable given that, the moment she lost concentration or 'belief' in her Flames, they disappeared just like that. And, of course, the more complicated the illusion, the harder it was to maintain.

It took some time, but soon there was just another typical black-haired, brown-eyed orphan running around the streets that no one gave a second glance at.

Stealing food also became a _lot_ easier too. A lot of civilians around Sicily were aware of Flames, but Mist Users seemed to be the most difficult to detect because no one had called her out on it yet.

Before Ori knew it, an entire year had flown by.

She tried not to dwell on the fact that an entire year and six months (half of the time she'd spent with her father) had passed, focusing on her goal to find her father's safe house... or whatever remained of it.

It was true that, even if she did locate it, nothing would come of it, but she really didn't know what else to do, and she was driving herself insane by only having survival for a goal.

When Ori had first decided on this task, she'd legitimately bought--or as legitimate as it could be when making normal pieces of paper look like bills--a giant map that marked every street on Sicily, systematically searching each one and marking off where she'd been.

Ori tried not to feel discouraged when, even a year after she'd started, there were still _thousands_ of square miles to search--the distance she'd covered rather pitiful in comparison to the amount of area that Sicily covered. Not to mention that she spent a lot of time finding shelter, locating her next meal, and dodging random thugs, so her search time was cut down that much more. 

It was what it was, but Ori was starting to think the 'Go To Namimori and Wait Twenty Years' Plan was really her best option. That was, unless a miracle happened.

And, she supposed, that was exactly what happened.

Ori had just turned five, and she was sitting on a rooftop eating a strawberry shortcake trying not to make comparisons to how different her fifth birthday was from her third birthday. Beyond that, it had been a typical day with the usual cacophony of stall owners yelling out their wares and people milling around in the street below her.

Thus, it made no sense when Ori suddenly narrowed in on the sound of a young boy complaining.

"--fucking let go, trash!"

"Going to get you this time, boy!"

Ori looked down, directly below her, to where a man was selling what looked to be medicine if the vials of liquid and powder were any indication. Or, rather, the man was currently holding the arm of a dark-haired boy, maybe around her physical age.

Clearly, it was yet another example of a street rat getting caught stealing. She'd become mostly resigned to the unfairness and brutality of her new life, but something about this felt... like she should pay attention.

The stall owner sneered at the boy, never letting go of what was sure to be a bruising grip. "Trying to steal more medicine for that whore mother of yours? Give up, brat! She's going to die and you'll be next!"

"Shut the fuck up!"

 _'Quite a mouth for his age,'_ Ori thought idly, lips pressing together as she debated interfering. She was on the roof, so it was unlikely that she'd be caught... yeah, why not? It sounded like the boy had a legitimate reason, and the worst thing that could happen was that she died again.

Focusing on the spot to the left of the stall owner, she imagined it being on fire, trying to _believe_ that it was really there.

A moment later, the man yelped as half of his stall seemed to randomly burst into flame, letting go of the boy to put out the 'flames.'

With the distraction, the dark-haired boy was able to grab the vial he'd undoubtedly come from, fleeing while the man was distracted. 

But, just as he ran, he looked up, their eyes meeting.

Despite the distance, Ori was struck by the _intensity_ of those red eyes staring back at her, even for a moment, before he disappeared into the crowd.

It took a moment for Ori to remember that she should be running as well, slipping behind the rooftop's ledge and resisting the urge to smirk as the man below her yelled again as his stall magically returned to normal.

Finishing off her strawberry shortcake, Ori had more of a bounce to her step as she wondered what area of her map she'd check during the rest of her day. She knew that she'd probably never meet the boy again, but she felt inordinately pleased by her good deed even if that was all that came of it.

Of course, that wasn't how it turned out.

That very night, after another fruitless search, Ori returned back to the dumpster she'd repurposed into a makeshift sleeping area... only to find the dark-haired boy there waiting.

She tensed, immediately wondering what she should do, when the dark-haired boy seemed to narrow in on her, as if sensing her before she'd even come into sight. "Get out here, trash! I know you're there."

 _'Rude brat,'_ she mentally confirmed. Of course, he probably had more reason than her to be that way, because overly moral and insecure weaklings didn't survive on the streets... as she knew from her first few deaths.

"What do you want?" Ori asked, getting straight to the point.

Once again, she was struck by the intensity of his red eyes. "Why did you do that?"

"How do you know I did anything?" she asked. While she didn't really regret helping him, she had no intention of letting anyone know about her Mist Flames. "I have no idea what happened."

"Liar," he said bluntly, stating it as one did that the sky was blue or the grass was green. "I know you used Flames. You're a Mist, right?"

Ori's eyes narrowed. So much for keeping that secret. "And how would you know about Flames?"

He snorted again and raised a single hand. A moment later, it was covered in bright Flames the color of a sunburst or burning, lighting up the alleyway with an impossible brightness.

_Orange Flames._

Immediately, Ori felt the intense urge to get _closer_ , to crowd around what could only be _Sky Flames_ and learn every last detail there was to know about this person.

A part of her mind told her that this had to be the infamous Sky Attraction that she'd read about-- _and that fanfiction raved about--_ and forced herself to concentrate, eyes narrowing as he smirked at her, as if aware of the effect he had on her.

"Sounded like someone was sick," Ori said after a moment, trying to gauge whether or not it was a bad thing she'd helped this kid. As they said, no good deed went unpunished. "And it was my birthday, so I felt like being nice today."

His eyes widened momentarily before he snorted, the Sky Flames fading away again. "Like any of that matters. Tell me the real reason."

She sighed. Paranoid one, wasn't he? Again, he was probably more than justified.

"That's really it," Ori said before pausing. "Of course, maybe your Sky Flames unintentionally made me notice you with the whole Sky Attraction thing."

His brow furrowed. "Sky Attraction?"

She stared. "I thought you said you knew about Flames?"

"Not everything!" he protested, face flushing in a way that seemed entirely too adorable for so roguish of a brat. "I knew that I had to be a Sky because they were orange and that's the color they're said to be, but it's not like there's any way I can ask without getting shot."

"True," Ori said with a nod.

This kid didn't seem to be gang affiliated, even though he was probably related to someone major if he was casually using the most powerful and sought after Flame there was, so she wasn't surprised she knew more given her Past Life and what little Renato had taught her in this one.

A somewhat awkward silence ensued as the two of them stared at one another.

After a moment, Ori realized that this kid, despite going through the effort of tracking her down (and how had he done that? Someone must've seen her current appearance and linked her to this spot, _damn_ ), probably hadn't thought much past that.

"Was... there any other reason you wanted to talk to me?" Ori asked, hiding a smile.

He glared at her, as if reading her thoughts before straightening. It was more comical than anything given that she was actually taller than him--though it wasn't as funny when she considered his sunken cheeks and skin discoloration that pointed to malnutrition.

"I want to work together," he declared, red eyes burning. "With our powers, it'd be easy for us to get whatever we need."

"I'm fine on my own," Ori responded automatically, though something in her twisted at rejecting him. "Frankly, I don't see anything you can offer me that'd be worth putting myself in more danger."

He bristled, clearly offended. He opened his mouth before pausing, glancing at the map still in her hands from the day's search.

"You're looking for something," he said, once again stating it as a fact and not a question.

Ori resisted the urge to hide the map behind her back, scowling at him. "And what? You'll help me find it?"

"I can," he said, nodding. "I know Sicily better than anyone--" She highly doubted that. He couldn't be older than five. "--and a lot of people who could find whatever you're looking for as well."

"I don't want anyone knowing about my search." Yeah, that'd be the exact _opposite_ of what Ori needed.

"I already know," he said rudely. "And if you don't agree, I'll make sure others know too."

She glared. This little brat! "You're not very good at making fair deals."

"Life's not fair, trash." He shrugged. "And if you can't prove yourself useful, I'll get rid of you so don't even worry about it."

How was she _not_ supposed to worry about that!? She couldn't be that she, mentally an adult, was being swindled by some random five-year-old street rat!

Ori stared up at the sky, wondering why this was her life. 

And yet... the worst thing that could happen was that she faked her death in front of him (hopefully it would just be _fake_ ) and then ran around with a different appearance, right? She was getting kind of desperate since she definitely wasn't getting anywhere on her own.

"Call me trash one more time, and I don't care who you tell," she lied, though she had a feeling he knew. "The deal will be off. And not only will you... help me locate what I want, but we're partners in this, alright?

He glared, clearly displeased with the terms before giving a long-suffering sigh, holding out his hand. "Fine. But backstab me, and I'll kill you."

"You can try," she responded and reached out to take his hand before pausing. "Wait, we should introduce ourselves if we'll be working together. I'm Ori."

"Whatever." He snorted, rolling his eyes as he took her hand before she could object, shaking it with a surprisingly strong grip. "You can call me Xanxus."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Poor Renato)
> 
> I bet a lot of people immediately knew who that kid was with the Tags, didn't they? Regardless, welcome little Bratty Xanxus to the story! XD I'm pretty excited about his part in all of this.
> 
> Please leave a Comment or Kudos to tell me what you think!


	5. The Boy Who Would Be A Villain Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously:
> 
> After waking up in the aftermath of the plane crashing, Ori can no longer deny that she's died when she discovers some of her limbs to be made of smoke. Ori heads back to Sicily, but has no idea how to find her father – nonetheless to do it without attracting the wrong attention. Having no other choice, she begins to search the city block by block for her father's safehouse.
> 
> A year passes with no luck. She's somewhat adapted to living on the streets (only starving or getting beaten to death a few times) and begun to learn how to use her Mist Flames. On her fifth birthday, she sees a boy being harassed by a medicine stall owner. She helps the boy out, not expecting him to track her down later.
> 
> The boy proposes a deal for them to work together. After a bit of blackmail, she reluctantly agrees – a reluctance that only grows when she learns this boy is none other than a five-year-old Xanxus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter, GhostSquid (booksandbrownies) asked if I chose Oriana's name by random of if I had particular reasoning:
> 
> Oriana has a lot of meanings (Golden, Light, Sun), but I liked how it meant "Dawn" in Latin, because this is the "Dawn" of her new life and she is the child of the "Sun." That, and for Renato, she is the "New Light" of his life.
> 
> Also, the name Ori, alone, is a Yoruba metaphysical concept referring to one's spiritual intuition and destiny--the reflective spark of human consciousness. This fits VERY well for her role later on in the story, the reason behind her repeated rebirths back into this world, and her own struggle in figuring out what to do with this knowledge.
> 
> With this chapter, I don't know why but I kept overthinking things. I have a solid outline for where I want to for the next few chapters, so I really need to stick to it lol.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left Comments or Kudos!!!!! I hope you're all safe and doing well. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

While it hadn't been the first time that Viper had been hired to use their thoughtography to find someone, it was the first time that the World's Greatest Hitman had been the client.

In Viper's experience, there were few who had more pride in their abilities than Renato Sinclair. And even if the eight of them were all still adjusting after what... happened, Viper hadn't expected for Renato to ask for help in such a plain manner. Neither did they expect the request in question.

"Your daughter?" Viper repeated, mulling the thought over. "So even the great Renato can make mistakes–"

They were unsurprised when there was a gun in their face a second later. After all, Viper had purposely left it ambiguous whether or not they were referring to the daughter going missing or her existence in the first place. Truly, he should know better.

"Your bill just doubled." The gun didn't waver, but Viper didn't expect it to. They would've respected Renato far less if it had. Instead, Viper held a hand out. "You know the rules – the more information I have on the person, the more accurate I can be."

A moment passed before Renato reached into his coat. He pulled out a thin slip of paper and held it up. It was a picture of the daughter in question. The resemblance was certainly there, with the identical curly sideburns and eyes like the abyss.

That smile, though, as she held Leon up to the camera – it lacked the natural refinement and bewitching effect that her father had. Though, if she was found alive, Viper doubted that such a smile would remain regardless.

"Her full name is Oriana Sinclair," Renato said as Viper studied the picture for every detail, creating up the necessary picture in their mind. "She turned five years old today. The Veleno Family took her."

"When?" It wasn't strictly necessary to Viper's abilities, but they were undeniably curious.

They got their answer when Renato tilted his hat. He didn't respond.

Ah. They should've suspected that it'd been _that_ day. One might call it a coincidence, but Viper highly doubted it. After all, even with their immeasurable abilities, they'd been more than a bit 'disoriented' after that _damned_ curse. On top of adjusting new, freakish bodies, they'd all been in indescribable agony from these wretched pacifiers sucking their Flames from them.

They recall that Renato had been particularly insistent to leave, snarling at Luce when she tried to get him to stay and recover. Viper hadn't thought much of it at the time since none of them had wanted to be near her for a single moment longer. Renato had always gotten attached too easily, so Viper had presumed that the Sky's unforeseen betrayal had affected him greatly.

_( **Why** Luce? A few months longer and you might have become our...)_

A thought occurred to Viper. Luce's future sight had been proven on numerous occasions as she knew things about them and their lives that they'd never told anyone else. Had she known about Renato's daughter? Had she known what would happen as she led them to their cursed fates with a smile on her face?

Viper put it from their mind. There was no use in thinking about that woman any longer.

Using the facts that Renato had given them, they focused on the image of Oriana in their mind.

" _Achoo!_ " Viper sneezed into a pre-pared piece of paper before opening their eyes.

They paused.

There was... nothing.

Sharp as he was, Renato noticed something was off before Viper even needed to speak. "What's wrong?"

"She cannot be located." Viper's lips thinned, mind racing. "What type of flame did she have?"

"Why does it matter?" Renato asked, brow furrowed. "She was inactive to the point the doctor couldn't tell."

"It's possible to obscure thoughtography if they're surrounded by or possess flames stronger than the one searching." The admittance grated at Viper's pride. Yet, that probably wasn't the case here since they were the Strongest Mist for a reason. It was the reason they were trapped in this body. "The only other reason is because there is absolutely nothing left to be found."

Viper didn't need to say that it was almost certain that Oriana was dead – body destroyed to the point that finding it was impossible.

Given the look on Renato's face, they could tell he didn't want to accept it. He should. If the World's Greatest Hitman had been searching for a helpless, flame inactive child for over a year and had become desperate to the point he'd forsake his pride and ask them for help... his daughter could only be dead.

Viper turned and left without a word. There was nothing more to be said anyway.

There hadn't been for over a year.

_(At the back of their mind, Viper thought about the only other being that had avoided their thoughtography. But, for Renato's sake, Viper hoped Oriana Sinclair was just dead._

_Because if the child had anything to do with the Man with the Iron Hat or the impossible circumstances that surrounded his existence... she was better off that way.)_

o0o0o0o

After shaking on their deal, Xanxus left after telling Ori he'd be back the next morning to tell her what to do.

Shocked from learning his name, Ori hadn't even objected. She'd just stared blankly at his retreating back as she tried to fit the image of this spiteful little five-year-old to the adult villain-- _though she'd heard that he later become an ally? Kind of? She wasn't sure since she'd never got past the Varia Arc--_ and leader of the Varia.

She'd known that he'd been on the streets before Nono adopted him, and he'd probably would've been in Sicily given that was Vongola's headquarters, but what were the chances she'd meet him in the literal millions that populated the city? She couldn't even find a house that stayed in the same place nonetheless an actual person! 

And, even if Xanxus later became Tsuna's ally, shouldn't she be trying to get _as far away as possible_ from him until then?

Even if the Varia weren't _assassins_ , his Future Self definitely seemed like someone who didn't put up anyone crossing him – as evident by the way he sent an assassin after Viper when they lost The Ring Conflicts Arc. Wasn't Ori just painting a target on her back for later down the road???

But, as she fell asleep that night, Ori realized that this could actually be a very _good_ thing instead... maybe. Yes, Xanxus himself was a bit of a wildcard, but there was a big chance that he'd be eventually adopted by Nono like he'd been in her KHR memories, right?

Thus, if Ori could ally (since 'befriend' was a longshot) herself with him, she could probably convince (or blackmail, with the way their 'partnership' currently was going) him to take her along with him to Vongola. In such a position, she'd have a _far_ greater chance of finding her father without instantly dying!

Even as excited as Ori was at the prospect of not having to wait twenty years, she was cautious the next morning as he came to get her. It wasn't that she was _expecting_ him to backstab her when he was the one who sought her out in the first place, it's just... she wouldn't be surprised if he abandoned her in a bad situation or something for his own benefit.

Yet, the 'missions' they did that day (which consisted of her distracting another vendor while Xanxus stole the medicine and distracting a few clueless tourists to get their wallets) went pretty well. And, regardless of how he griped, Xanxus had willingly given her half of the goods and money before disappearing again.

For the next few months, that's how it went with the two of them striking up a rather profitable and cohesive partnership – for a pair of street rats, that was.

Xanxus was a snarky, conniving, and vicious brat, but you had to be to survive on these streets. The alternative was to wait for death in a gutter... like she had countless times that first year on the streets.

Xanxus wasn't like her. He _refused_ to give in regardless of the situation. Even with how young he was, Xanxus was outsmarting people four times his age and had access to a lot more resources than she would've initially believed when he made this deal. It... was really impressive.

Not to mention that, even though he didn't bring it up, Ori could tell that Xanxus was singlehandedly supporting his mother.

She never asked, but enough people recognized Xanxus and jeered at him for being the bastard of an insane prostitute (to their own detriment since Xanxus _always_ got revenge in the end). Yet, he never once complained. Without fail, he always got his mother's medicine despite the mishaps that happened when they weren't careful enough – or even when they were.

Ori respected his desire not to talk about it, but was silently awed by how much responsibility and weight he'd accepted on his shoulders as a mere five-year-old.

And, for all that Xanxus was a jerk... she was learning it wasn't necessarily personal.

It was more like his default state. Ori found that she didn't really mind that much, and could easily admit that she enjoyed snarking back at him. For a while there, it'd felt like there was no reason for Ori to speak again until she found her father, but Xanxus... he made her want to fight. To _not_ give into this cycle of death she'd found herself in.

Maybe it was those Sky Flames of his – though, she didn't think so given that his Sky Attraction was nearly non-existent when he didn't actively produce his Flames, which was the majority of the time. Or maybe it was just who Xanxus was.

Perhaps it was both. Being a Sky and being Xanxus was a package deal, but regardless of the reason, Ori found herself wanting to survive in a way she hadn't before because of it. It wasn't the bubbly, happy safety of being with her father, but somehow becoming nearly as essential to her current life.

One day, it occurred to Ori that Xanxus was the closest thing she had to a friend.

_(The closest thing she had to a friend in both lives.)_

She didn't mention it at all to him, continuing business as usual, but that thought weighed on her more than she'd ever admit. Ori found herself coming to trust him, to rely on him and watch his back more than strictly necessary.

Thus, it wasn't entirely surprising that Ori found herself dying for Xanxus.

The two of them had been getting kinda cocky, not as subtle as they should've been with how successful they'd been with tricking tourists and stealing from stall owners.

Going back to Ori's usual alleyway, they'd found themselves trapped by some random goons who demanded they hand over their spoils. The money they'd stolen wasn't really that impressive in the grand scheme of things, but priceless to two struggling street rats.

Of course, Xanxus had a problem with that. Suffice to say, it'd devolved into a three on two fight.

It'd been going pretty well with Xanxus kicking ass and Ori confusing the hell out of the thugs by making it look like badly shaped crows were attacking them, when she'd seen the gun. There'd been a fourth goon who'd hung back.

The gun was pointed at Xanxus who was facing down two goons at once, and she'd just... _reacted_.

There was a _gunshot_.

The sight of Xanxus' wide red eyes. 

Then everything went _black_.

o0o0o0o

Ori awoke to the feeling of movement, as if someone was carrying her, but struggling to do so. She felt wet. Distantly, she noted that it was probably raining.

It'd taken a while, Ori's thoughts particularly foggy and _numb_ , but she'd eventually opened her eyes to see none other than Xanxus carrying her. The first thing she noticed was that his eyes were rimmed with red, as if he'd been... crying?

"Xanxus?" Ori asked, voice hoarse.

His head whipped down to look at her, eyes wide.

A staring contest ensued-- _she was really good at these, don't try her, Xanxus!--_ before his eyes narrowed. There was a sudden _anger_ in them that she didn't know how to react to.

Before Ori could so much as say a word, he'd darted off to a nearby alleyway. He knelt down and dropped her next to a wall, but in a way that he was still holding both of her arms tightly enough that she was sure they'd bruise.

"What the fuck!?" Xanxus' grip loosened just a bit as she winced. "You should be _dead_!"

"Sorry to disappoint you." Ori grimaced when he shook her. "And, erm, why... did you think I was dead?"

"You were _shot in the head_ ," Xanxus spat out. "Even if you weren't, you didn't start _breathing_ until right now. If you'd just been knocked out, you would've at least had a pulse!"

"Okay," Ori acknowledged. She tried to figure a way around this, but had a sinking feeling it was a useless endeavor. "Could you tell me what happened first?"

The glare he leveled at her could probably burn down cities. Pretty impressive for a five-year-old. Seriously, children of this world _were not normal_ – she was definitely living proof with how nonchalant she was becoming to her own deaths. She'd been infected by the KHR Universe already.

"You _died_ ," Xanxus emphasized, legitimately growling. "I had to haul your fuckin' body away as those scum took everything."

Ori's eyes widened. Why had he done that? She'd _literally_ been deadweight, and he'd confirmed that those gang members had stolen their hard work for the day. "Did... you know that I was going to come back to life?"

She didn't know how he could've possibly known that since this was the first time she'd died around him – to her knowledge, at least.

"Of course not!" Xanxus snapped, looking angrier than ever as he confirmed her suspicions. "What kind of insane fucker would just expect that!?"

"It's not normal," Ori agreed, wincing as Xanxus' grip on her arms tightened again. She tried to swat him away, pouting when he didn't let go. If she didn't know better, she'd say he was being clingy. "Will you stop tha–"

"Did _you_ know you were going to come back to life?" Xanxus asked suddenly. His crimson eyes narrowed in on her, seeming to _swear_ that there would be grave consequences if she didn't answer.

Ori hesitated. Her logic screamed not to tell her secret, that anyone besides her father knowing was a sure sign to invite trouble and agony, but even though it'd only been a few months... a part of her wanted to trust Xanxus. To rely on him, and for him to do the same.

It made no sense since they had a business-only relationship, banter non-withstanding. Probably those stupid Sky Flames at work again. What good could come of telling him? He'd definitely use it to blackmail her in the future.

And even if it somehow made them closer, she'd seen how indifferently, and even cruelly, Xanxus treated his subordinate in the future. The villain she'd read about wasn't someone she could trust.

_(But this **isn't** the Xanxus you read about, is it?)_

"Yes," Ori said finally. "It's not the first time." Then she glared at him. "But don't think that I'm going to let you weaponize it or whatever. I saved you, yeah, but that was a one-time thing."

She had a sinking feeling inside of her chest that it might _not_ be a one-time thing. In fact, something in her _rebelled_ at the idea of anything hurting Xanxus. It was the same feeling that had made her just _react_ when she saw that gun pointed towards him.

If it happened again... she couldn't say she wouldn't react the same.

To her surprise, Xanxus didn't respond. He just stared at her, lips pressed into a thin line.

Ori didn't know what was going through his mind, but he finally let go of her. He looked away with a scoff.

"Obviously," Xanxus said, shocking her to the point her jaw almost dropped open. "Like I'd ever be so weak as to _need_ you to save me. If I see you doing it again, I'll make you regret it."

Ori stared for a moment, feeling strangely hesitant to the point she decided against pointing out that she _did_ save him.

"Uh... sounds good," Ori said finally, shrugging as she stretched out her limbs. While her head felt like it was clouded over, the rest of her body was stiff from however long she'd been dead. "How long was I out?"

Xanxus scowled again. "Six hours."

"I think that's a new record," Ori said under her breath. She held her hands up in defense as Xanxus crowded her space again. "Hey–"

"Didn't you hear me?" Xanxus snapped. "It's not happening again!"

"I get it, I get it," Ori placated, trying to hold back a smile. Was... was he actually feeling _concerned_ over her?

She knew Xanxus was capable of such feelings, particularly on the days they failed to get his mother's medicine no matter how hard they tried, but she'd never thought they'd be directed at _her_.

Or, maybe, Ori was overthinking this. It would be disturbing for any five-year-old (regardless of whether or not he was a five-year-old in what was one of the most bloodthirsty and dangerous cities in the world) to see their partner-in-crime bite the dust.

Still, the fact that Xanxus had carried her dead body around instead of just leaving her in that alleyway... it had to mean something, right?

o0o0o0o

Little did Ori know how correct she was with that statement was because, after that incident, things _did_ change between them. Xanxus was still, undeniably, a dangerous brat, but he became, for lack of a better term... _protective_ over her.

If 'protective' meant second-guessing her every action while berating her more than ever with statements like _"You're a fucking Mist, don't just jump in head first!"_ despite how hypocritical that was coming from _him_ of all people.

It continued this way for a while, harming the little partnership they had going on, until she finally snapped and attacked him. He'd seemed more surprised than ever, but didn't back down.

Of course, she'd had her ass handed to her, but Xanxus had been strangely calmer after the fact, not as upset as she'd thought he'd be while sporting more than a few bruises from where she'd struck him. Ori might not be as strong or fast as him, but she'd gotten decently adept at making illusions to help her out in a fight.

After that, Xanxus demanded that they spar together. Beating the crap out of one another became a normal part of their daily routine – an oddly enjoyable one as she never felt more glee than when she'd successfully tricked Xanxus with her Mist Flames. He was rapidly gaining the ability to sense them, but working around them was a different matter.

Another part of Ori was disturbed by how much she didn't mind getting injured. She wondered if her deaths or time on the streets had permanently warped her sense of pain and what a 'bad situation' entailed. It... was probably for the better, though.

But back to Xanxus' change in attitude. Ori couldn't have had more definite proof if she tried that he cared, somewhat, about her existence when he purposely took a hit for her during a fight.

Watching the blood drip down his bleeding nose, a part of her... _snapped_.

( _Later, she would wonder if this was what a prospective Guardian felt for their Sky.)_

She didn't really remember what she'd done to the gangsters who'd been picking on them, but the smirk on Xanxus' face as they ran away told her that it'd probably been brutal.

"Why'd you do that?" Ori shouted at him when they were far enough away, dabbing at his bloody nose. He'd scrunched his nose at her distastefully, but she was horrified to see that he wasn't objecting to her touch. _Oh my god._ "You know I could've taken that punch!"

"Obviously." Xanxus snorted, shocking her again. Had he... acknowledged her strength in some way? Even though it was the same brand as his? "But I fucking told you before – you're a Mist. You're useless to me if you get knocked out."

"You're contradicting yourself." She rolled her eyes, but there was still something warm warring with the upset in her chest. "Still, thank you for the thought, but I don't like seeing you get hurt."

She expected a snappy comeback to that, but Xanxus didn't respond. Brow furrowing, she looked up to meet his eyes and saw something almost... vulnerable in them. It wasn't a word she'd _ever_ thought to relate to Xanxus... but that'd been a twenty-four-year-old Xanxus. The person she'd read about wasn't the person in front of her.

For the first time, Ori could believe that she was looking at a young child.

"I..." He seemed to hesitate, but didn't look away. "I don't like it either."

He didn't say anything more, a light flush rising on his cheeks. He was embarrassed, but instead of ranting or throwing a punch, he was letting her see. Willingly letting his guard with the understanding that Xanxus... was beginning to trust Ori, too.

_(Had anyone ever seen Xanxus look like this in any life?)_

Her throat tightened. She gave a light laugh. If she hadn't, she felt like she might've cried instead.

Did he understand? What it was like to have someone there who gave a damn whether you were dead or alive?

She knew her father cared, but for all he knew she was dead. As much as she wanted him to be, Renato wouldn't be there to protect her the next time she was punched by some goon. He wouldn't be there the next time she worried about freezing to death in an alleyway late at night. He _couldn't_ be there to dry her tears as a part of her wished she'd never been born in this world.

But Xanxus... it was different. Even if only by temporary circumstance, even if he would day forget and abandon her, he... he was there. He cared.

And she _desperately_ needed that.

She didn't say any of that. Even if she could find some way to articulate the thoughts rushing through her head, they weren't there yet. But it was clear that they were going... somewhere.

In the end, she could only say, _"Thank you."_

But given the solemn acceptance on Xanxus' face... Ori could tell he understood anyway.

o0o0o0o

Later, Ori would wonder if she'd really saved Xanxus by pushing him out of the way of being shot. Would he really have died? Or would he have survived that encounter and lived out the actions that led to the plot without fail? Had her actions changed really changed anything at all? 

In the end... Ori decided she wasn't willing to take that risk.

She'd already seen the way her existence could change the things around her. Or, at least, she knew that there were people dead as a result of her birth.

She wasn't omniscient. She had no way of knowing if the people who had died were 'fated' to die all along or whatever.

_(Nani...)_

Even if this world resembled the KHR manga she'd read, Ori wasn't going to abandon Xanxus under the assumption that 'everything would be fine.'

For that matter, a lot of the things that happened in canon to those outside of the protagonist’s inner circle _weren't_ fine! And for Xanxus... there was a lot coming up in his possible future that Ori could no longer stomach as 'being part of the plot.'

She doubted she could save anyone. She couldn't even save _herself_. But if she just stood by when people she cared about were being harmed... then it was even more of a mistake for her to exist.

Especially since the one thing that she knew was that she came to back after dying – everyone else didn't. It was worth it if she was the only one hurt since it... it only lasted for a while.

Not that she would be seeking out death, of course.

If only for the fact that Xanxus would kick her ass if he found out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Again, poor Renato. Man, I have not given this man a break... and won't for a long while hehe)
> 
> Ori: Don't worry about it, but I will die to protect you. Repeatedly.  
> Xanxus: If you die to protect me, I will KILL YOU!
> 
> And thus, a partnership was struck! Lol, if you can't make friends, blackmail is evidently the way to go. And itty bitty protective but still emotionally stunted Xanxus is so adorable XD
> 
> Though I can't blame Xanxus since Ori is an utter mess that just repeatedly DIES every time she's left on her own. Honestly, I feel kind of bad for Xanxus inadvertendly befriending this fellow disaster child lolololol. And then, of course, what happens in the future... ;)
> 
> Please leave a Comment or Kudos to tell me what you think! Oh, and Happy Holidays!!!


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